G'day from WA - Brick Wall with Whitaker

[andrewwg]

G'day All GFUK Users

Have only just found this forum and still trying to work out why I haven't joined before!!??

My wife and I are 3rd or 4th generation Aussies with our main families (GRUBB, COLLINS, TREVORROW, MITCHELL) all arriving into Melbourne (GRUBB, TREVORROW & MITCHELL) or Adelaide (COLLINS) from the UK c1850-1870.

Apart from our Irish connections (would welcome any hints on researching Irish ancestry) we have managed to take most of our ancestry back to pre-1800 mostly with the help of Census records and other researchers.

I am happy to be contacted by any researchers interested in the families above/below and particularly the Aussie descendents of same. We are fortunate to have reasonably good - excellent photographic record and almost complete Certificate coverage for our main families.

I've provided the full families list below to assist as many many as I can. Happy to freely share whatever information may be of interest.

I have hit a brick wall with the WHITAKER connection on the COLLINS branch.

On 28 Oct 1838, at the Parish Church, Paddington, Charles John Collins (1819-1881) married Hannah Charlotte Whitaker (1820-1886).
Charles was a Tailor and a later a CofE Minister.

In 1841 the family was residing in Upper St Martin's Lane, St Anne's Soho, Westminster.

The family set sail from Plymouth on board Brightman on 23 Aug 1849, arriving in Adelaide on 5 Jan 1850. One son, George Cowley Reid COLLINS, was born during the journey. The family moved on to Victoria c1854.

We know (Marriage Certificate) that Hannah Charlotte WHITAKER's father was Edward WHITAKER, Veterinary Surgeon.

We also understand (Family Search) that Hannah Charlotte WHITAKER was baptised at Old Church St Pancras on 6 April 1835. Her parents are shown as Edward Clarke WHITAKER & Hannah.

Hannah's Death Certificate describes her father as being a "Gentleman".

We have been unable to expand the Whitaker branch beyond this basic knowledge and would welcome any assistance.

FAMILIES LIST AS FOLLOWS:

England:
ATTWOOD (Kent), BEER (Weymouth), BLOUNT (Uppingham), BOOTHROYD (Doncaster), BROWNE (Burrough on Hill), BURNABY (Hungarton), CANFIELD (Hertfordshire), CLAYTON (Winchester), COGESHALL (Rhode Is USA), COLLINS (Chichester), COOMBES (Stepney), DEER (Melcolm-Regis), DEER (Middlesex), DODGE (Weymouth), DYER (St Botolph), FIELD (Hertfordshire), FISHER (Rochford), GREEN (Westminster, GRUBB (London), HART (Stepney), HEARN (Lynn), HOLGATE (Norfolk), KNAPP (Little Linford), LAMBERT (Norfolk), LASH (Harwich), LAWRY (St Ives), LIDINGTON (Syersham), MITCHELL (Walthamstow), MONKHOUSE (Gateshead), NICHOLLS (London), PHILPOTT (Middlesex), QUAINTRELL (Middlesex), THORPE (uppingham), TREVORROW (Ludgvan), WARDALE (Lynn), WILKINSON (Doncaster)

Ireland:
BURNS (co Tyrone), EWINGS (co Armagh), GALAGHER, McELLROY, McGEIGH, NOLAN (co Tipperary), O'CONNOR (co Antrim), PENTLAND(co Armagh), RAHILLY (co Limmerick), THOMPSON (co Tyrone).

[Jimmy]

We also understand (Family Search) that Hannah Charlotte WHITAKER was baptised at Old Church St Pancras on 6 April 1835. Her parents are shown as Edward Clarke WHITAKER & Hannah.

Hannah's Death Certificate describes her father as being a "Gentleman".

Hannah Charlotte Whitaker.
Record Type: Baptism.
Estimated Birth Date: abt 1820.
Baptism Date: 12 May 1820.
Father's Name: Edward Whitaker. Milk man.
Mother's Name: Hannah Whitaker.
Parish or Poor Law Union: Holborn St Giles in the Fields.
Borough: Camden.
Register Type: Bishop's Transcript.

Address given, 22 Charlton St, St Mary-le-bone.

Image available on Ancestry,

London, England, Births and Baptisms, 1813-1906.

[Jimmy]

Also,
Hannah Charlotte Clarke Whitaker. (Said to have been born 6 April 1820.)
Record Type: Baptism.
Estimated Birth Date: abt 1835.
Baptism Date: 13 Oct 1835.
Father's Name: Edward Clarke Whitaker. Late of Mortimers Market, A milkman.
Mother's Name: Hannah Whitaker.
Parish or Poor Law Union: St Pancras.
Borough: Camden.
Register Type: Parish Registers.

[andrewwg]

Hello Jimmy

Thanks for your speedy reply.

It's interesting that even in the differences between the Bishop's Transcript and the Parish Register entries we get the type of conflict I've been presented when investigating the Whitaker connection.

These include:

The inconsistent use of Clarke (particularly in Australian records)
Dates are "all over the shop".
It was not usual to have 2 baptisms c1830 particularly in CofE as the Bible references "one" baptism. It is sometimes possible to have an "Infant Baptism" (now often called a dedication) and a "Believer's Baptism" once an individual is old enough their own commitment (in Hannah's case ~15yo). Such is my own case.

I've attached the Marriage Certificate for Hannah and Charles.

Both as shown as Minors - which fits with Hannah's birth as c1820.
Hannah is shown as living in Market Street. I assumed that this was Paddington.
Edward Whitaker (with no reference to Clarke) is shown as a Veterinary Surgeon - which is a bit different from a Milk Man. However, it is unclear if he was present at the marriage.

Is it posible that we have 2 X Hannah Charlotte Whitaker??

I'm hoping that all of this will be made clear by a Whitaker connection.

Marriage_Charles John Collins & Hannah Charlotte Whitaker_28Oct.jpg (189.02 KiB) Viewed 2317 times

[Jimmy]

It could be that she was illigitimate, and she made up a better occupation for the father.

[gardener]

Can anyone make out what it says under Charlotte's name in the second baptism?

[gardener]

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/31747630
There is some talk here of conditional baptisms which take place when you are unsure of the validity of any previous baptism. Here it mentions three baptisms at St Pancras where no water was applied.
I wonder if the bit under Charlotte's name is something like that. Latin maybe? It might start "ana" which could mean "re-" but what comes next?

[Jimmy]

I will have a look when I get back from my church.

[MarkCDodd]

It is probably an annotation to signify the forename is changed from the last baptism. Clarke has been added?

Dual baptisms are common when the first is done ASAP after birth as the child is sickly and in danger of dying. This is sometimes referred to as a private baptism.

Later, when the child is healthy and family and friends have the chance to attend, a second baptism or "public baptism" is performed.